Federal parties are ignoring the concerns of younger Canadians, as issues like post-secondary education take a backseat to tariffs in the ongoing federal election campaign.
That's according to a new report from a youth-run non-profit organization highlighting the top concerns youth have ahead of the federal election 鈥� first on the list being a lack of equitable access to higher education.
Seven representatives from the non-profit Young Politicians of Canada (YPC), including Surrey-born Ravjot Sarao, presented the report Thursday (April 3) on Parliament Hill.
Sarao, 18, graduated from L.A. Matheson Secondary School, is a first-year student at Queen's University, and has been involved with YPC since late 2024.
The non-profit consulted with 3,815 youth across Canada to determine their federal election priorities.
"We hosted round tables and virtual workshops, and we basically wanted to get a sense of what youth across Canada think the main priorities are 鈥� what are the issues that they want the upcoming government to address," Sarao said. "We compiled their concerns into 11 main youth priorities, and we also have relevant recommendations about how the government can specifically address these priorities, as well as how they relate to Canada's SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) commitments," Sarao said.
The report highlights the top 11 priorities, of which the top three are expanding access and reducing financial barriers to education, addressing unemployment and creating career opportunities, and addressing intersectional social impacts on youth in Canada.
For the first priority, the report noted that rising tuition fees, limited financial aid, and growing student debt have made it "difficult for youth to complete their studies without significant financial strain." A recent student from Embark Canada, which the report referenced, found that 26 per cent of students have considered dropping out of post-secondary because of money 鈥� with two in five respondents spending at least three-quarters of their income on school, not including living expenses.
The Young Politicians of Canada report recommends expanding access to "needs-based" grants and debt forgiveness, strengthening work-integrated learning programs, reducing tuition costs, and improving access to mental health support.
Sarao noted that while they have heard concerns from younger Canadians about U.S. tariffs being imposed on Canada, there are other concerns that they felt the federal government was not fully addressing.
"One main concern was the integration of AI into education and career transition. Because, as we know, a big concern for young Canadians today is that, since AI is evolving so rapidly, there's a risk of jobs being automated."
Jaden Braves, the 16-year-old CEO of Young Politicians of Canada, said, 鈥淲e hear about the same issues over and over on the campaign trail. They are important issues, but what we鈥檙e hearing from our peers is that there are big concerns that are being ignored by all the major political parties. Young people in Canada are focused on issues that impact them today but also, policies that will ensure they have a sustainable and prosperous future.鈥�
To learn more about the priorities and recommendations, visit youngpoliticians.org.
